Recipe: Nawlins Cali Po' Boy

This recipe is inspired by my recent trip back to New Orleans, one of my favorite cities. I am a big fan of po' boy sandwiches, especially the ones with fried seafood. However, I honestly cannot resist putting a Cali twist on a Nawlins classic...

Ingredients:

Crab salad:

1 tbsp. crushed garlic

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 cups of fresh lump dungeness crab meat

Sandwich:

1 two foot long sourdough French baguette (if you find somewhere that makes New Orleans style French baguettes, feel free to get one of those!)

2 lbs. of peeled, deveined, and de-tailed small shrimp (if you can get Gulf Coast "popcorn" shrimp, they are the best)

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of corn meal

2 tbsp. of sea salt

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups of canola oil (for frying)

1/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3 tbsp. of finely chopped chives

2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups of fresh arugula

Directions:

Crab salad:

Combine everything but the crab meat into a small bowl. Using a whisk, whip all of the ingredients together until a creamy emulsion forms - an aioli. In a larger bowl, place the lump crab meat and use your fingers to well separate the strands and parts. Add the aioli to the bowl and mix together thoroughly using a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator.

Sandwich:

Combine the flour, corn meal, and all of the dry spices well together in a large bowl. Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the shrimp into the flour and spice mixture first to coat, then into the egg wash, then back into the flour and spice mixture before placing into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 5 - 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a large paper sack.

Add the chopped chives to the room temperature butter. Using a fork, mix the chives into the butter thoroughly. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise. Spread the chive butter all over the bottom half. Spread the arugula out evenly on top of the butter. Place the tomatoes evenly atop the arugula. Spread the fried shrimp out evenly on top of the tomatoes. Top the shrimp evenly with the crab salad. Place the top of baguette back on and push down to tighten the sandwich. Cut width-wise into 8 equal portions. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe: Scalloped Tomatoes Provencal

Yeah, it's a Sunday, so I'm in a cooking mood... this is dinner :)

Ingredients:

5 - 6 large heirloom tomatoes
1 orange or yellow bell pepper
1 French baguette, cubed
2 tbsp. of olive oil
4 oz. of pancetta, diced
2 tbsp. of butter
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 tsp. of white pepper
2 tsp. of Herbs de Provence

Directions:

Spread baguette cubes out on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or so to toast.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the diced pancetta and garlic. Cook until the pancetta browns, about 7 - 8 minutes.

Reduce heat on the oven to 325 degrees. Dice the heirloom tomatoes and bell pepper and put into a large bowl. Add the baguette croutons, pancetta in butter and garlic, and the other spices to the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the tomato mixture into the casserole dish, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 50 - 55 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.